Counting Stars
by cotecasasweatherly
Summary: Set after Season 11. Tony and Ziva remembering how much their love is worth. AU plot.


"Count the stars and I'll love you as long as it takes for you to count them"

They trickled down her cheek and began to absorb in her soft, sun kissed skin. The tears kept making their way south as she stood there, warm arms wrapped around her waist and the sensation of a hot breath below her ear.

He whispered the words into her ear, the slightest sob choking from his lips. Pulling her head tighter to his chest, his hands grazed over the top of the bruises along the sides of her hips. Teeth gritted together and holding back tears, his lips kissed under the skin of her ear.

"Why did we ever get a divorce in the first place?" She cried into his chest.

"We were stupid," He sighed, "so, so stupid"

Sniffling, she tipped her head to look at him, "I don't want to be with him…I want to be with you again"

"I'll do whatever it takes to get you away from him. I won't let him touch you again," his hands grazed over the bruises once more.

The sensitive touch erupted a shiver down her spine causing her to tremble and almost fall weak at her knees. His arms wrapped tighter around her petite frame and he began to move in a swaying motion, rocking her. His left hand came up to hold her head into his chest while he kept his lips close to her ear.

"I promise to keep you safe. I will always make sure your past will never haunt you again and to always hold you when a nightmare strikes. To always have your back, even in the most difficult times of our lives. To always fall asleep with you in my arms at the end of the day. And no matter what the difficulties are that we face down the road, we will always come together as one in the end,"

The echo of her sobs filled the parking lot they were standing in. She had a small smile creeping upon her lips and she looked up into his emerald green eyes. There it was again, that connection that could never be broken.

"You…you remembered?" she whispered, shakily.

"How could I forget?" He smiled weakly at her, "The only person I have ever told them to was the person I only truly loved" He looked around, "Hold on one second…" He let her body go and walked to the left of them, opening the door of his red mustang. He stared the car, rolled the window down and Ziva watched as he inserted a CD into the player. Once he was finished, he got out of the car and walked back over to her. Grabbing her by the waist, Tony pulled Ziva into his body, arms resting on her hips.

They started swaying in the middle of the moonlit parking lot, dancing to the soft beat of the music. Two steps forward for him, two steps backward for her. Two steps to his right, two steps to her left. Each motion repeated as they danced along. Tony leaned into Ziva's cheek and began humming the lyrics in her ear.

"With each word your tenderness grows, tearing my fear apart and that laugh that wrinkles your nose, it touches my foolish heart. Lovely, don't you ever change. Keep that breathless charm, won't you please arrange it? Cause I love you just the way you look tonight…"

Tony's arms reached out, letting her unravel from his arms and then pulling her right back in to his embrace.

Hearing those few lyrics, the ones they danced to on their wedding night, she came up to her tip toes and brushed her lips against his. Their noses barely touching and his hand traveled to her back to rest on her lower hip. His other hand, holding hers in midair and never losing contact. He stepped backwards gently letting her fall into him and dipping her down and planting a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away, her body still wrapped in his warm arms and brought her back to her feet. They stood and stared in each others eyes until reality hit when Ziva's phone began to ring.

Before she could grab the phone herself, Tony lifted it from her pocket, sliding the answer button across the screen.

"Adam, it's Tony. Yeah, you're fucking favorite person. Listen to me, if you ever touch or come near her again, you're going to have to go through me and I'll beat the living shit out of you, buddy" Throwing the phone over his shoulder, Ziva heard the crack of the screen as the Iphone hit the pavement behind them.

"I'll buy you a new one, sweetcheeks" He smirked, grabbing her hips once more. Their mouths moved together and midkiss he could feel her lips part into a smile.

"What?" He asked smirking at her.

"What do you mean 'what'?"

"Why are you smiling like that?" Clearly knowing what he's getting at, but he just tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. He waited for an answer with a soft smile upon his lips.

"Because…I love you" Her eyes lit up as she spoke and she leaned in for another kiss. Passion poured into the kiss and she felt content home in his arms.

He pulled back only far enough to rest his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." He whispered, leaning in for another kiss that would last forever, two hearts strung together in a promise of forever.


End file.
